Flying-machine.



B. L. MADDEN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1910. 992,726 Patented May 16, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@XRD 1 owen E. L. MADDEN.

-FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATXON FILED 11u19. 19104 Patented May 16, 1911;

Efldlfacdem,-

E; L. MADDEN. FLYING MACHINE. `AI'ILIUATIOISI FILED HAY 19, 1910.

I Patented May 16, 1911'.

annual:

ga full, clear, andgex'act description of the invention, such'as will enable others 10 I j use Ythe same.

-flying machines.

` ascension wheels which will enable the mal line without necessitating the forwarder lateral rocking motion usually in vheavier than air machines.

' lWiththe y view, the invention consists ofcertam novel features of is a detaill'la view of one of said blades.

`Teallwhom'itin-.ayconcern.:

'.gersoll, in the county of Alfalfa'and State lof' Oklahoma, have' inventedk certain new and useful Improvements Ain Flying-'Mamatically ascend directly from-the ground, 'thereby dispensing with all auxiliary start the tensile'strengtli of the brace` rods and- 'described and particularly but. in

f machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view' thereof.

e car, B the operators or pilots-seah-and C 5o.'

' LYIAN IADDEN, 0F INGEBSOLL, OKLAHOMA.'

` rnmmenmr.

.` Specioation of Letterslatcnt. s

Application led lay 19, 1910. Serial No. 562,264. l

Be it jknown that I, EDW1N L. MADDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Inchines; and Iydo'declare the following to be the art to which it appertains to iiiak'e This invention relatesvto heavier One object of my invention is to a heavier than air. machine that w'` -auto- 'ing'mechams'xn p Y.

A further objectbf my inventionlistov provide a plurality of oppositely revolving chine to be raised or-lowered nafveiticalI A further object -of my invention is" 'to so` arrange. the framework and supporting mechanism of my .improved machine that supporting bars are utilized to the best-posf sible advantafge.v

oregoing and' other obJects in construction, combination' and ent ofparts `as will be more fully the appended claims. A y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a' front elevation of'my improv ilymg Fig. 3 is a lon tudinal section takenon the of Fig.` 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse detail view of oneofthe on `wheels with some of the blades removed. Fig.v 6

Inthe ustrated embodlm ent ofmy invention A designates the 'framework of the and1l) the otors of any' type for revo ving e ascension an propd ling wheels hereinafter more fully described.

The frameworkof the car may be of any desired shape or'size and -isl herein shown as lar and composed of light bars or respectively. .outer en'ds of the supporting bars 3 carry *theffalscension wheels 8, which, as herein rods suitably connected together 'to form i. side, topV and door sections, the side sectiois s comprising vertically-disposed corner beams 1. A solid floor 2 is suitably connected to the floor sections and supports the motors -C and D and the operators seat B, as clearly indicated in Fig.` 1.

.suitably secured withinl their opposite ends vertical stud `shafts `4. and 5 carrying' horizontally-dis` pulleys or sprocket wheels6 and 7 ATheV shafts 4 arranged at the shown,"arev composed of a hub portion 9, havinga; plurality of radial blade-supporting frames 10 extending therefrom, to which are removably secured the blades or vanes 12.

i As clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, the bladesiipportingv frames 10 are triangular and complrisel a light rod suitably bent into shape and avin .upper and lower armsV 13 and 14 respective y. 'The vanes 12 as herein shown farej' triangular in shape vand are provided 'th a plurality of attaching strips 15, by means of which one edge of each blade is securedto the upper arm 13 of one of the radial frames 10 and the opposite edge of Patented May 16, 1911. 4

adjacent their inner ends ito the to ,sections of the car frame and extending iagonally fromthe corners ofthe. car arek supporting bar s '3, having journaled sov saidbladc is securedgto the lower arm 14 of.`

thev adjacent radial ,fra-me 10. .In thisl mannerv v`the blades 12 are secured slantwise around the ascension wheels, and' are designed, upon the rotation of said wheels, to

draw up vthe air beneath said wheels and create alvacuum therebeneath, according to well known princi les. The surroun in air will rush inwar 1y to ll the'space le t vacant by the vacuum and will lift the machine in a direct or vertical line, withoutrefquiring any lateral or forward motion of the machine.

vThe rotation of the ascension wheels at any desired speed, is attained by means'of the mechanism now to be described.

The operating shafts 16 aresuitably connected to' be driven by the sariepmotor C, as

b sprocket chains 17 passing around suitable ssrocket'wheels 18 and 19 on the shafts 16 an the motor drivingtshaft respectiveliy.

The ends of lthese sha s 16 are suitab 'ournaledin bearings carried by the corner ars 1,v and adjacent l.each end are provid with bevel gears 20 adapted to mesh with bevel gears 21 on the lower ends of the stub shafts at the inneil ends of the diagonallydisposed supporting beams 3, the operating or toothed faces of the bevel gears extending in opposite directions, as 'clearlyT .shown in'l'fig. 3. The upper faces of the diagonal supporting bars 3 are longitudinally grooved or recessed, as at 22, to form guideways for sprocket chains 23, passing around the sprocket wheels 4 'and 5 at the opposite ends of the supporting bars, the longitudinal rib 24 extending between'said grooves yand separating the opposite rows of sprocket chains, thereby eliminating all danger of their accidentally contacting duringl the operation of the machine. It will be apparent lthat upon the rotation of the operating shafts 1G, the ascension wheels operated by the beveled gears on the opposite ends of said operatingr shafts will revolve in opposite directions for the purpose hereinat'lcr more .fully explained.

To prevent the reverse rotation of the ascension wheels, each of the shafts 5 is provided with a ratchet wheel, as 50, adapted `to cooperate with a spring pressed pawl 51 .suitably mounted upon the framework of the car.

l'o strengthen the framework of the machine, a plurality of light brace wires or rods are stretched between the extending portions as herein shown, and having wires 25 connecting the several diagonal support ing bars to each other and wires 26 connecting each of the diagonal bars to the framework of the car. The ascension wheels 8 are also reinforced by suitable braces 27 on the wheels extending diagonally between the upper and lower arms 13 and 14 of adjacent radial frames l0, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Adjacent the opposite ends of the shaft 30, suitably journaled near the lowerV ends of the corner bars l at the rear of the frame, are secured oppositely facing bevel gears 3l adapted to mesh with bevel gears 32 on the inner ends of the rearwardly-extending shafts 33 carrying the propeller wheels 34 to thereby revolve the propeller wheels in opposite directions upon the rotation of the shaft 30. As herein shown, a sprocket chain passing over a suitable sprocket wheel on the shaft and the driving shaft 35 of the motor D, is employed tol-'- rotate the shaft 30, but it is to be understood that any desired means may be employed for rotating the propeller wheels from the motor D, or the same motor may be employed to revolve the propeller and ascension wheels. The propeller wheels 34 are preferably composed of radial blades 36 arranged at a suitable angle topropel the machine in the desired direction and the shafts 33 carrying the same are preferably mounted in suitable journal boxes, or bearings 37 `carried b v the framework.

'l'hc guiding means for the machine pref- .ioor of the car, starts erably comprises a pair of oppositely extending vanes or planes 40 secured at their inner ends to transverse shafts 41 which are rotatably mounted upon the top bars of the framework at opposite sides thereof. At the inner ends of said shafts 41 are provided pulleys 42, while/suitably mounted upon the side beams of the operators or pilot-s seat B are similar pulleys 43. Belts or chains 44 are designed .to connect the pulleys 42 and 43, a rotative motion of the pulleys 43 being communicated directly to the upper pulleys 42 to thereby change the angle of the guid- .ing vanes 40. Suitable levers 45 are connected to the lower pulleys 43 whereby the said pulleys may be rotated at the will of the operator. While the guide vanes 40 and their operating mechanism are exactly similar, it is to be understood that they are independent of each other and maybe separately operated to change the direction of the machine, as hereinafter more fully explained. K

In the operation of my iying machine, the operator, upon taking his seat upon the the motor C to revolve the vanes 12 in opposite directions through the hereinbefore described mecha-- nism, creating a vacuum beneath the ascension'wheels, and being carried up by the incommg air which rushes from all sides to fill the vacuum thus created. The machine will, by this means, be carried directly upward, enabling it to start from a narrow inclosure, as, for example, a city street, without danger of contacting with the surrounding objects. When the machine has attained the desired height, the motor D may be started by the operator to revolve the propelling wheels 34 which are rotated in opposite directions through the shaft 30 and the bevel gears 3l and 32, as hereinbefore described. The revolution of these wheels will act to drive the machine forwardly according to the well known principles of physics and the air i being driven forward will strike the lower faces of the blades of the ascension wheels and assist to maintain the y machine in its elevated position. The movements of the machine in any direction may be controlled by means of the guide vanes 40. When said blades are arranged so that they extend in a vertical plane, z'. e., at'right angles to the top frame bars, the machine may be raised or lowered, the blades 40 offering no resistance to the movement of the machine.` When, however, the guiding vanes are rotated so that they are arranged at different angles to the top frame bars of the machine, the air will contact with the inclined faces and force the machine in a forward, rearward or intermediate direction according to the angle at which the vanes are disposed. When said vanes are all extended in a horizontal plane, z'. e., parallel with the top frame bars of-the machine, all upward or downward movement of the machine will be effectively prevented, `y`while the saidvanes will oil'er no resistance to the forward or rearward movement of the machine. It

will be apparent from the above that theopcrator, by moving the levers may, through the intermediate mechanism, rotalel the guiding vanes 40 to vary the angles at which the air will strike said v anes therebyk offering a greater or less resistance to the movement of the machine in any direction.

' Should, at any time, the operating mechanism of the ascension or pro eller wheelsbecome broken or dlsarrange the ascension wheels will serve as a parachute which will resorted to without departing from. the

principles or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having descrlbed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a rectangular main frame, supporting arms radiating from the upper corners of the main frame, ascension wheels on the outer ends of said arms, means for rotating said wheels, a steering shaft mounted transversely in the top of the frame and projecting beyond 'the sides thereof, vanes secured on the projecting ends of said shaft, means for rotating said shaft, propeller shafts mounted on the sides of the frame at thc rear thereof and having propellers on their rear ends and bevel gears on their front ends, a transverse shaft on the rear of the frame having bevel pinions at its ends meshing with the gears on the propeller shafts, and means for rotating Said transverse shaft.

2. In a flying machine, the combination of a main frame, supporting arms radiating from the' upper ends of the frame,`ascen sion wheels having vertical shafts journaled in the' outer ends of the respective arms, sprockets on said shafts, vertical shafts 0n the frame at the inner ends of the arms, sprockets on said shafts, sprocket chains disposed longitudinally of the arms and connecting said s rockets, shafts arranged longitudinally o thevframe on opposite sides thereof, gearing at the opposite ends of said shafts connecting each shaft with the inner two vertical shafts, a motor on the frame, and gearing connecting the motor with the longitudinal shafts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

EDWIN LYMAN MADDEN. Witnesses:

A. C. MADDEN,

J No. BLUE. 

